(no subject)

[softlyfalling]

Who: avante and also probably some lilis and probably some sensitiv because. a lot is happening
Where: avante dorm
When: day 309, mid-morning

[ so some weird stuff happened

and also amaranth lives here now. ]

Comments

[unbr8kable]

[Frowns, checking for anyone watching, then keeping her voice low as well]

...A General Gabriel's s'posed to be in charge of Heaven now that the G-man's skipped town. The Vengeance Hell people were talking about this?

[worthathousand]

[ She keeps her manner casual, leaning forward on her elbows, but her voice stays quiet. ]

Not in detail, no. But we asked the closest person we have to a contact there: Suri, one of the fallen angels. They work in a bar now, which is at least an improvement over lying face down on the pavement for who knows how many millennia.

My feeling is that the fallen angels who haven't yet sworn themselves to Hell are our best chance at allies, but that means both breaking through their despair and finding out how to restore them.

[unbr8kable]

[Shifts her weight, folding her arms]

...Bet if they could get to Heaven--the ship--that'd help. They got pools what can remove corruption. --Though you said the dead zone could, too?

[worthathousand]

That’s incredible—but it makes sense.

[ a pause, rolling her shoulders a moment as she thinks before leaning in again ]

I don’t think we can rely on the Dead Zone—or maybe “pure zone” would be a better term; at least not in the same way. Cardinal was there with me, and they kept at least some of Hell’s marks. But I would still consider it worth trying, especially for any freshly gained mutations.

And I think you’re right; the key is to figure out how to smuggle the fallen into Yu-Shan to begin with.

[unbr8kable]

They can't get there same way you did?

just assuming low speaking volume unless otherwise specified

[worthathousand]

Not unless—

[ ...hm. ]

The demon who good as dared me to try prayer... I don't think he has the will or the faith for it, because he will not follow any god of Yu-Shan.

But Suri... it isn't that they don't believe. Rather, they lost their faith once, and in that moment fell. And I have never been an angelic spirit at all, and I got there. It isn't as though I could pray to the god that exalted me, either [ said casually, like an obvious thing ], so I doubt that was a factor.

So I wonder... perhaps they really could, if they tried.

Re: just assuming low speaking volume unless otherwise specified

[unbr8kable]

I mean, in my experience, angel security tech's a lot smarter'n any angels are.

...Maybe it's like dream logic--they don't think they can, so they can't, but you thought you could, so you could. The whole place's s'posed to run on the power of belief, right?

[worthathousand]

True.
I think you're right, then, that there's nothing to be lost by asking them to at least try.

Of course, the far harder part is getting back to Vengeance's domain, then fending off the gangs long enough to rouse even one of them. Like I said, they're... very set in their despair.

[ a pause ] Or maybe...

[ She reaches down to rummage around in her bag a moment, then pulls out a... crumpled ball of notebook paper? —which is then unwrapped to reveal a gleaming golden apple. ]

[unbr8kable]

...Lunch break?

[worthathousand]

Ha.

But no–
These were growing in the courtyard I arrived in. It was some sort of training ground—either for newer soldiers or newer techniques, based on the light heft of the practice weapons.

I risked a taste. Just a single drop of juice was more invigorating than any rest or meal I've ever had.

[unbr8kable]

It didn't hurt you none? Nobody tried to stop you?

[worthathousand]

It hasn't hurt me yet, at least.
And there definitely wasn't anyone there to stop me. Just that long-abandoned courtyard and tower.

[unbr8kable]

Huh...

[She falls silent, absorbing this]

...'Least you don't gotta take a nap anytime soon. What you think would happen if you planted it?

[worthathousand]

[ she leans in close again ]

That is exactly what I'd like to find out.

[unbr8kable]

[Shifts, considering]

...Should be a couple seeds in an apple, right? Enough to do some experiments. Best soil, best light, best water...

[worthathousand]

I expect I'd find the best of it, at least for this tree, in the Dead Zone.

[unbr8kable]

Well, yeah. It'd be pretty crazy if it could grow in here, no matter what grow lights you bought.

...Anybody know how close the cameras get to the Dead Zone? Like. Can they not see it? Or just not enter?

[worthathousand]

As far as I can tell from running training sessions there—you know, to ensure we're not relying on unit abilities—

Well. Close to the border, it's hard to say for certain. The Producers are ingenious at hiding them sometimes. And I don't know whether they're able to see through the cameras past the border or not—but I've yet to receive a single piece of fanmail referencing anything that happened within the Dead Zone's borders.

And I died in there once, you know.
[ dry ] The fans love that sort of thing.

[unbr8kable]

Dying in there seems bad? Ain't like the usual crew can go in there and drag you out, right?

[worthathousand]

I had Cardinal with me—to watch over me.

[ softer ] To pull me out, in the end.

[unbr8kable]

[Her arms are folded tight and her mouth pressed thin, perhaps coming off as more bothered by the situation than she would have allowed if she'd realized]

...Guess that's something. What were you even doing in there to get killed where there ain't no coming back?

[worthathousand]

It was... during the imps, you know.

LiliS's bark armor could protect me from most things—but not from when one of the great demons turned the air around it to poison.

[ jaw tightening a bit ]

I knew Hell would mark me if I didn't act quickly. I refused to allow it.